Center bearing



July 31, 192s. 1,678,811

L F. OCONNOR cEN'TEn BEARING Filed June 25, 1925 l i fzvefzri WM5@ v ,jmrmf (ganar g 'Patented July 31, 192s. n

UNITED s'l-"Afrrzs'` PATENT oFvFlcE.

JOHN F. O?CONNOR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T W. H. MINER. INC., Av CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

CENTER BEARING.

Application filed June 25,

'This invention relates to improvements in center'bearings.

In the operation of railroads, it has been found advisable to so connectv the body and truck bolsters of a car that the same. cannot be separated vertically in case of collision or derailment, as this effectively prevents or minimizes the turning over ortelescoping of the cars. It has been the usual practice to make use of a sectional pivot or king pin l to'lock the parts together but much diiiiculty has been experienced in a great many instancesI inL applying such locking means, especially in the case of a six-wheel truck; 15. and particularly dining, buffet and baggage cars. for the reason that the central axle'of the lsix-wheel truck is locatedimmediately below the pivotal center and it is impossible to obtain access from above the bolster through the car floor on account of .the

stoves or other fixtures of the car being located directly over the bolsters. Certain railroads also prefer using cast body bolsters having a continuous top weby over the king pin opening and therefore in such cars having six-wheel trucks, it is impossible to insert or withdraw, vertically, the king pin or other type of locking device unless the.. truck is completely dismantled for that purpose, which is prohibitive from a practical standpoint. i

One object of the invention is to provide a ,locking connection for holsters of an efficient type, comprising interlocking center bearing plates, .thereby doing away entirely with the necessity for a locking king pin or other similar pivotal fastening device.

Another object of the invention is the proi vision of an improved center bearing for railroad cars wherein the parts of the bearing permanently attached to the body and truck bolsters are effectively interlocked by readily detachable means located entirely within the space between the bolsters and adapted to be applied by being inserted between the lower face of the body bolsterand the upper face of the truck bolster, thereby especially adapting the device for cars having a truck so constructed that access from above and below the bearing is practically impossible.V l

In the drawing forming a part of this specification-, Figure 1 is a vertical, sectional view through the center kportion of the body and truckbo-lsters of a, car, showing my irn- 1923." i' serial-No. 647,436.

provenients in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is a horizontal, sectionalv view, corresponding substantially to the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is aview similar to Fig. 1, illustrating a different embodiment of the invention.y Fig. 4 is a horizontal, sectional'view corresponding substantially to the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. v

Fig. 5 is a view Vsimilarto Fig. 1 illustrating another embodiment of the invention. And

Fig. 6 is a horizontal, sectional view corresponding substantially to the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Referring first to the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, 10 denotes the lower portion of a body bolster and 11 the upper portion of an opposed truck bolster. My improved device, as shown, comprises an upper center bearing member A.; a lower center bearing member B; a pair of locking blocks .C-C; and two pairs of locking pins D-D vby which the same is secured to the truck bolster by rivets 17 or any other suitable fastening devices. The member B is provided with a continuous, verticalA fiangef18 of rectangular outline, thereby providing a rectangular opening 19 adapted to receive the blocks C.

The blocks C are yof like construction, each being of generally rectangular outline and of a thickness equal tothe height of .the liange 18. lEachof the blocks is cutout at one side to provide an arcuate recess 2O and anl arcuate, horizontally disposed .flange 21 Voverhanging the recess. l/Vllen the parts are in assembled relation, the blocks are disposed within the recess 19 of the member B on opposite sides of the cylindrical portion 14 of the member A with the flange 15 of the latter disposed inthe recesses 20 ofthe blocks and the flanges 21 of the blocks enl gaging over the flange 15 with the adjacent edges of the blocks slightly spaced apart. The blocks C are retained withinv the opening 19 of the lower member B by the pins D Vand E, received ingrooves 22 and 23 formed in the inner faces of the flangev 18 and the opposed edges of the blocks each set of grooves 22 and 23 registering and forming acylindrical recess when the parts are assembled. The rectangular flange 18 is provided with two openings 24 adjacent each of the corners thereof, each opening being alined with a set of grooves 22 and 23 to permit the insertion of the pins D and E.

The pins E are provided with heads at one end adapted to. abut the outer side of the flange 18 and are retained in position by cotters extending through the opposite ends thereof-.".The pins D are somewhat shorter than the distances between the pins E Aand are retained within ,the grooves 23 by the pins E extending `transversely of and closing the openings 24 through which the pins D are inserted.

With the arrangement shown in Figsl and 2, it will be seen that the center bearing section A may be assembled and interloclred with thesection B by inserting the blocks C able fastening devices.

within the recess 19 of the member B with the flanges 21 engaging over the flange 15 of the member A and inserting' the pins D and E in the proper openings, the pins D being first inserted. The pins D and E engage in the opposite grooves 23 and 22 of the blocks and the flange 18 and edectively lock the blocks in position, the flanges 21 thereof overhanging the flange 15 and holding the sections A and B interlocked. In separating the members A and B the reverse procedure talles place as will be obvious.

Referring next tothe construction illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, 110 denotes the lower portionof the body bolster and 111 the upper portion of the truck bolster. The improved device, as shown .in these figures, comprises an upper center bearing` member A; a'lower center bearing member B; and a series of ball bearings F.

The upper member A is provided with a Vflange 112 secured to they body bolsterby rivets or any other suitable fastening de` vices. The lower member B is also provided with a similar flange 116 secured to the truck bolster by rivets or anyv other suit- The member A is provided with a central opening 130 surrounded by a downwardly projecting circular flange 114 having an annular groove 131 of semi-circular cross section on the inner face thereof.

The member B is provided with an upwardly projecting circular flange 118 of smaller diameter than the flange 114, and is provided with an annular groove 113 of semi-circular cross section on the outer face thereof v complementary to the groove 131. The flanges 114 and 118 are adapted to inyterflt with 'the grooves 131 and 113 thereof in alinement and forming, in effect, a race- 'way adapted to receive the balls F. At op- `posite sides, the flange 1140iE the member A is provided for holding the center bearing in assembled relation, the balls ll" act las anti-friction means thereby providing an anti-friction center bearing. l

It will beevident thatjthe center bearing member A may be assembled and interlocked with the member l2 by'inserting the circular flange v116 within the circular'flange 114, bringing the grooves 131 and 113 thereof into registration and inserting the series .of balls F within the 'raceway thusv formed through either orv both of the openings 133. When the raceway has been lled the openings 133 are closed by the plugs 134, thereby retaining the balls in place. To separate the members A and B itis merely necessary to remove the balls from the raceway, the same being withdrawn through the openings 133. l v

Referring next to the construction illustrated in Figs. V5 and 6, 21() denotes the lower portion of the body4 bolster and all the upper portion of the truck bolster. rl'he improved device, as shown in these figures,

comprises yan upper center bearing member A2; a lower center bearing member B2; and a pair of locking element-sor blocks G2.

The upper memberA2 is provided with flanges 212 secured to the bodybolster by rivets 213. or any other suitablefastening devices. Themember A2 is provided with' a downwardly projecting, hollow cylindrical portion 214 having an annular, horizontally disposed, flange 215 at the lower end thereof. rllhe lower member B2 is also provided with flanges 216, similar to the flanges 212, secured to the truck bolster by rivets or any other suitable means. rlhe upper surface of the member B2 is recessed as indicated at 240 to receive the circular flange 215 of the member A2, the recess 240 having a flat bottom, and corresponding in depth to the thickness of the flange 215 so thatthe upper face of the flange will lie flushv with the standing circular flange 218 in spaced relation to dthe cylindrical portion 214 of the member A2, thereby providing a circular opening 219. ,Theflange 218 is cutout at opposite inner sides, thus providing arcuate recesses as indicated at 220 and overhanging ledges 221. The flange 218 is cutout on las diametrically opposite sides to provide downwardly extending, radially disposed, openings 222 midway between the ends of the recesses 220.

The locking elements G2 are in the form of arcuate blocks, being of like construction and each including a horiontally disposed flange 226; a semi-circular upstanding flange 223 at the inner edge; and a radially extending, horizontally disposed, outwardly 'projecting arm 224 adapted to be received in one of the openings 222 inthe flange 218 and to project beyond the latter. The locking elements are disposed at opposite sides of the cylindrical portion 214 of the member A2 with the flanges 226 thereof received in the recess 220 and the flanges 223 arranged in spaced relation to the portion 214, with the outer faces thereof adj acent the arms 224 retained in abutting relation with the inner face of the flange 218 by cotters 225 passing through the arms 224 and abutting the outer side of the flange 218. Upon reference to Figs. 5 and 6, it will be seen that when the blocks are in the position above vreferred to they engage the upper surface of the member B2 and overlap the flange 215 of the member A2, holding the members A2 and B2 interlocked, upward movement of the blocks being prevented by the flanges 226 engaging the over-hanging ledge 221 of the flange 218, and inward displacement being prevented by the pins 225. The blocks G2 are of such a width that they may be easily inserted from above into the recess 219.

The members A2 and B2. may be assembled and inter-locked in the following manner. With the flange 215 disposed above the upper edge of the flange 218, blocks G2 are placed upon the flange 215 in embracing relation and in contact with ther cylindrical face of the projection 214 and with the arms 224 in vertical alinement with the respective openings 229 of the flange 218. The members A2 are then lowered together with the blocks into the opening 219, the outer edge of the blocks clearing the inner edge of the flange 218 and the arms 224 entering the openings 229. When the parts have been thus assembled and the flange 215 is resting upon the members B2 lwith the upper surface flush with the upper surface of thelatter, the members A2 and B2 are interlocked by sliding the blocks G2 outwardly to the position shown in Fig. 5, the cotters 225 beinginserted in the arms 224 to retain the blocks in position. In separating the members A2 and B2 the reverse procedure takes place, as will be observed.

I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out the invention, but the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In car construction, ythe combination with a truck bolster; of a center bearing plate rigidly secured to the truck bolster, said plate being provided with an upstanding flange; a body bolster; a center bearing plate rigidly secured tothe body bolster, said plate being provided with a downwardly projecting portion adapted to bear on said truck bolster plate and having a horizontally disposed annular flange; a plurality of vertically removable blocks interlocked with said upstanding flange and overlying said annular flange for detachably connecting said plates; and means for maintaining said blocks in interlocking engagement.

2. In car construction, the combination with a truck bolster; of a center bearing plate rigidly secured to the truck bolster; a body bolster; a center bearing plate rigidly secured to the body bolster, one of said plates being provided with an upstanding, continuous, flange and the other of said plates being provided with a cylindrical projection having Van outwardly extending annular flange thereon; a plurality of locking blocks overhanging said annular flange; and a plurality of pins interlocking with the blocks and the upstanding flange for detaohably securing the locking blocks to the upstanding flange of the truck bolster.

In witness that I claim'the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 16th day of June, 1923.

JOHN F. OCONNORy 

